The dining room that took my breath away

I might think that a lot of you will remember having seen this Belgian home featured in the Spring 2014 issue of MILIEU Magazine.

MILIEU Spring 2014 issue – Photography by Claude Smekens

This is the house of our best friends Christian and Gregory, who live in a beautiful area outside the city of Antwerp.

As Christian is an art historian and Gregory is an opera singer, the couple is passionate about the eighteenth century historical style period.

Initially they wanted to buy an authentic 18th C. home but didn’t find much available in the region where they needed to live because of their job. So they decided to build a new home that would have all the characteristics of an old home, based on historical documents, by using recuperated building materials and by bringing in the perfect antique pieces of furniture and accessories. They now live in their beautiful home just over 10 years.

Earlier this week I posted a picture of their dining room on my Instagram page and a lot of my followers let me know that they would be pleased to see more of it. That is why I asked my friends for their permission to post about their home, especially about the dining room. Chris and Greg, some of the most wonderful and sweetest people I have ever met, where both so enthusiastic about the idea and I was thrilled they let me share the pictures I took at our visit, earlier this week.

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The dining room

As I already mentioned, the couple has a passion for the 18th century style period and in particular for the 18th century Swedisch design, as the decor of the Gustavian style dining room testifies.

A Swedish ‘slagbord’ table, that is now covered with a drape, surrounded by Swedisch chairs, together with a gorgeous Scandinavian chandelier, -which is one of the couple’s latest acquisitions-, are all part of the 18th C. style dining room.

I will always remember that first time I entered this room a few years ago. It really took my breath away! The atmosphere entering the room, the light coming in through the open windows to the front garden… Just gorgeous!

The picture above, I took this week. The dining room, beautiful as ever!

And again, the table was set for dinner, showing the most lovely blue and white tableware and antique silverware.

I couldn’t keep my eyes of the Scandinavian chandelier, one of the latest acquisitions, that is really adding that final touch, giving the room the grandeur it deserves.

One of the room’s doors, painted by Christian. Flooring is salvaged Carrara marble.

Besides their shared passion for the eighteenth century, Christian and Gregory have a weekness for antique china. Gorgeous French and China porcelain, Dutch Delft blue, English transferware,…you name it! Since years they love to go treasure hunting througout Belgium and Holland, to find that one piece that definitely needs to be added to their already extensive collection. The dining room houses only a part of their fabulous collection of blue and white plates and pottery.

One of the plates hanging on the walls of the dining room. The couple found this series of Delft plates, dated around 1760, in one of the antique shops around Spiegelgracht in Amsterdam. In addition to the colour blue, the purple colour manganese was also widely used. These plates were probably never used and they still have the original suspension hooks. It was hilarious to hear my friends tell about the extremely difficult job finding the exact spot on the wall to hang this series. It took weeks before they agreed about the final position!

The table ends of the Swedish dining table are used as console tables. They are added as table extensions to seat 8 people.

Beautiful decor vignette with one of the silver candleholders.

The gracious table setting with antique china and silverware.

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As a small intermezzo, before continuing with more pictures of the dining room, I would love to share with you even a few pictures of our friends’ living room. Before having dinner, we were invited to enjoy a drink in that gorgeous room.

This living room is partially painted in a trompe l’oeil panelling, done by the home owners themselves! The colour is inspired by a room in the Chinese Pavilion (built in 1753) of the Drottningholm Palace, Sweden.

Attention to details, well thought choices of fabric and lampshade colours in Swedish soft grays and blues.

Chimney mantel with again the blue and white pottery and plates.

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Back to the dining room.

As we enjoyed our drinks and the conversation in the living room, Christian sneaked away to light the candles in the dining room.

It was absolutely wonderful continuing the evening, having a candle light dinner.

The picture above shows the late 18th C. Flemish buffet treated with chalk paint and a patina, added by the home owners. Between the windows a white painted 18th C. console table.

Notice the chairs upholstered in a Swedish blue check and the soft gray blue tablecloth fabric.

I loved to see the light of the chandelier candles reflected from the Gustavian style mirror, as I sat in front of it.

Decor vignette on one of the console tables.

Painted and marble topped console with another series of blue and white china above.

Thank you so much Christian and Gregory for your hospitality and for letting me post today these pictures of your beautiful home.

Wishing you all a nice and relaxing weekend !

xx

Greet

All pictures by me, posted with permission of the home owners.